Dissident Priest Stripped Of Status

August 19, 1986|United Press International

WASHINGTON -- The Vatican Monday stripped the Rev. Charles Curran, a leading liberal sexual ethicist, of his status as an official theologian, saying Curran`s dissent makes him no longer ``suitable or eligible to teach Catholic theology.``

The decision was approved by Pope John Paul II.

Curran, 52, a professor of moral theology at the Catholic University of America, has been under investigation since 1979 by the Vatican`s Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- formerly known as the Inquisition -- for publicly dissenting from the church`s official position on a number of sexual ethics issues, including abortion, contraception, masturbation, premarital intercourse and divorce.

The theologian, presently on sabbatical from Catholic University, was not immediately available for comment.

In March, Curran announced that he had been told by the Vatican to ``reconsider and retract`` his views.

At that time, Curran said that ``I cannot and do not retract`` the view that ``dissent from authoritative, non-infallible church teaching is possible and in certain cases justified.``

Curran has long been a thorn in the side of church officials and conservative Catholics. In 1967, Curran was dismissed by the school for leading the theological dissent against Pope John VI`s encyclical banning the use of all artificial birth control devices by Catholics. He was reinstated five days later following a student strike that virtually shut the school down.